The Paris to Marseille railway line

From 1865 onwards, the P.L.M. (Paris-Lyon-Marseilles) Company constructed the railway line that the Cévenol train still uses to link Paris and Marseilles via Clermont-Ferrand, Alès and Nîmes. The line helped to open up the area and was thus a real asset for the towns located along its path in the Lozère. New occupations were created: P.L.M. employee (during construction) or dispatcher of local products (e.g. chestnuts from the Borne valley). But the disappearance of mule trains struck a blow at the local economy, in particular craftsmen and innkeepers.